Method and means for timing the use of electrical circuits



May 14, 1929. J. L. BOYNTON 1 488 METHOD AND MEANS FOR TIMING THE USE OF ELECTRICAL CI RCUITS Y INVENTOR Jase L. Boy/"'0".

Arron/ Era Filed Oct. 17' 1927 Patented May 14, 1929.

, UITED STATES JEQSE Ii. BOYNTON, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNQE OF FIFTY FATE NT OFFICE.

PER onnr r0 CHARLES A. MARSHALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR TIMING THE USE OF ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS.

Application filed October 1'7, 1927. Serial No. 226,586.

This invention relates to methods and means for timing or approximately timing the use of electrical circuits and one example of the invention as hereinafter described is particularly adaptable for controlling overtime payments for numerous telephone calls; however, the invention in its broader aspects may be employed in connection with various other electrical systems and circuits.

This application comprises in part a continuation of the subject matter contained in my copending application Ser. No. 195,394, filed May 31, 1927, and entitled Method and a iparatus for timing the use of electrical circuits,

The invention includes amongits objects the provision of a suitable method and means of the class above indicated, which will be simple, effective and dependable in operation and which will neither embody expensive equipment nor absorb any considerable portion of the time and energy of the operative.

Further and more specific objects, features and advantages will more clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification.

in the drawings, the figure is a perspective view showing an arrangement embodying this invention comprising a part of the equipment at an operators position at a telephone central oilice switchboard such as adapted for the control. of numerous telephone calls.

Referring to the drawings in further de tail, a panel of a section of a telephone central station switchboard is indicated at 10. l t will be understood that several of such panels may be mounted at an operators position to be controlled by a single operator or at times by adjacent operators. It will also be understood. that numerous operators positions will usually be located side by side along a switchboard in a conventional manner, and that only a limited number of parts of a single position are here shown for the sake of simplicity.

Various switching devices of conventional form are shown in the drawing, includ ing rows of back and front cords and plugs as indicated at 11, such plugsbeing ada ited to plug into the answering jacks or subscriber-s multiple jacks, etc, when a phone user signals in the conventional mannor to make a call. Rows of register or collect keys are indicated at 12 and 12, each of such keys being designed to register a call when terminated and before the operator takes down the corresponding connection plugs and cords. Listeningin keys and ringing keys are indicated respectively at 18, 13 and 14, 14:. The parts thus far referred to may all be of the conventional type found in modern central oifice equipments except that according to this invention the various sets of these connecting or switching devices for numerous lines may be divided or classified into a plurality of distinctive groups, such groups may be distinguished by being separated somewhat on the switchboard, and/or they may be distinctively marked or colored. In the particular example shown, the devices are divided into two groups, a line of division between the two groups being indicated at 15. The devices of the group at the right of this line are designated by the numerals 12, 13 and 14, while the corresponding devices of the group at the left of this line are designated by the numerals 12, 13 and 14. To render the two groups further distinguishable, the keys or their handle portions may be distinctively colored; for example, the parts 12, 13, 14" may be black, while the parts 12, 13 and 14', may be white, red, or some other-distinguishable color.

An operators timing device is indicated at 16. This device may comprise the conventional form of operators clock except that provision is made to give distinctivesignals or other indications to denote the beginning and ending of predetermined regular inter vals. Such intervals, according to the illustrative embodiment of the invention here disclosed may, for example, be five minutes, or equalto an established payment period for telephone use. One simplemanner of giving thedistinctive indications at these intervals may comprise the use of color or colored figures on the last digit wheel of the clock. For example, the numerals one to five, inclusive, on such wheel may be of a black color, while the numerals six to zero, inclusive, may be red or other color corresponding to the color used on the devices 12, 13 and 14c- In utilizing this equipment for timing the use of the numerous telephone lines connected Withthe switchboard section, the operator such line to automticall uses the switching devices 12, 13 and 14 for making connections during the period when this digit wheel of the clock shows figures of corresponding color, and when this clock wheel shows black figures the operator utilizes the devices 12', 13, and 14 in making connections. In certain instances it is-necessary or desirable to further identify or mark the Connecting devices for certain calls, and for this purpose sleeves, as at 17, may be placed over the ringing keys for such lines.

A group of extra sleeves ready for the operators use is indicated at 18. The method of utilizing this equipment will be hereinafter operator. The'operator is thereby kept substantially continuously at work in the making of connections and has'little or no opportunity to give attention to the timing of individual calls. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that any dependable apparatus which might be applied individually to each time the calls thereon, would necessarily e comparatively expensive to manufacture and install.

On the other hand, according to the method of myfinvention, it will be noted from the following explanation that provision is made at regular predetermined intervals for periodically indicating" and checking substantially at one time all calls which have continued substantially-beyond one full payment period.

This-is accomplished with the above described apparatus 'merely by the classifying of the numerous switching devices into the plurality of groups,'for example,two groups as shown each group to be identified respectively with corresponding or succeeding alternate payment periods. To identify the successive payment periods any suitable signal or indieating device, such as the above described I clock with the distinctively colored figures may be provided. Such signal or indication may be visual, audible,- or of some other character, but the same should preferably be sufficiently pronounced, or so positioned as to effectively attract.the operators attention, even though the operator is very actively engaged in observing other signals and making connections. This signal indication given at accurately measured, arbitrary, but regu- ,lar intervals, calls the operators attention to the fact that at that time certain steps must be taken, or certain changes in operation mustbe made in order to cheek overtime calls.

This purpose may be served by this invention in an inexpensive simple manner involving no further change to the existing standard equipment than merely applying distinctive colors to certain parts as above described.

In operating the switchboard in accordance with my invention, the operator first notes the distinctively colored device or numeral on the clock or other indicating means, and then starts making connections on the group of switching devices of corrcs mnding color in the usual manner. Operations are continued with this group until the parts or digits of the other distinctive color appear on the indicating device, whereupon the opcrator temporarily discontinues the use of the first group of switching devices and makes further connections on the second group of switching devices, which will corrcspoml to the distinctive color then showing on the clock. However, at the time the operator shifts operations from one group to the other, certain calls will oftentimes be in the. process of being established, but will not be quite completed through to the ai11=\\-'cring party. For such calls, the operator takes one of the sleeves 18 and places it over the ringing key corresponding to such call, in order to indicate that that call had not been completely established at the time of shifting from one group of switches to the other.

During this second payment period or interval, many of the calls which were established during the first payment period, will ordinarily be terminated, whereupon the connecting plugs and cords will be taken down by the operator in the usual unanner. But as to any calls originally established during the first period and which are still continued, the connections will of course continue to be maintained and will serve to indicate to the operator such calls as may have to be checked for overtime payments.

The expiration of the second payment period will be indicated to the operator by the change in color of the indicating digits on the clock, whereupon the operator will again shift operations to the first group of switching de vices, and at the time of shifting, such calls as are in the process of being established on the second group will be identified with marking sleeves as before. At the same time, the operator will note such of the calls of the first group as are still being maintained, and for such calls as these which have extended at least beyond one full established payment period, the operator may then demand or make suitable records for additional payments before permitting the calls to continue further. However, as to any of such calls of the first group which have been identified with marking sleeves, the operator will not at this time demand extra payn'ient for the reason that such calls had not been quite completed before the beginning of the previous lot) fill

period, and one full payment period may not have yet elapsed for such specially identified calls. i l

lake/wise, during each following measured interval and at each succeeding signal indie tion the operator proceeds in the same manner and takes similar steps to check and corn irol overtime payments for all of the numerous lines in use.

In the apparatus as above described, it will be observed that while the calls are checked every 5 minutes, it will often be possible for a user to continue a call lor a period somewhat longer than 5 minutes. For example,

if connectionsare made over a line just after a signal indication, the user would be permitted to continue his call'throughout that interval, which would continue for a and a fraction minutes and he would also be able to continue throughout the succeeding 5 minute interval, thus permitting himto use the line for a total period of 9 and a fraction minutes. But in actual practice, if each user continued his call until additional payment were demanded, the highest average length of call would be approximately 7 minute's. However, since many of the users will not continue their call until notified of the expiration of their time, the average overtime call will be discontinued or will be checked within a time considerably under 7 minutes. This method will therefore be quiteample to eliminate the practice of individualswho persistently continue their calls substantially beyond the established payment period. The accomplishment of this purpose is highly advantageous, particularly with coin box telephones located where space is valuable and where in order to justify the proprietor of the store or other establishment in installing a phone booth, revenue must be continuously collected throughout the day. Without such overtime prepayment cont'rohit is ofeourse possible for individuals to continue a call for a long period.

oil? time, thus often holding a valuable trunk line in use, necessitating additional trunk line investments as well as keeping other individuals from using the booth for indefinite periods. Without such systematic control of the timing, it is impossible for the central station operator to proceed with the regular duties oi? making line connections and at the same time watch individually a multiplicity of calls. Accordingly, with payment te1ephones as now widely used, the users are usually free to continue local calls indefinitely. Central oflices operating in accordance with. my invent-ion may collect a substantial amount of overtime revenue, but only from deliberate overtime use and the collection of such additional revenue is accomplished substanti ally without expense or danger of error and trouble beyond the usual operation of the central station switchboard. The operators attention and activities are diverted to the ing distinctive indications may be given by thetiming devices to show the proper period of use of each of the respective groups. ith such arrangements the highest average overtime call may be reduced to a time approximating the established period. if desired, but

it will be understood that for most practical conditions two or three distinguishable groups of switching devices will accomplish the desired results without interposing complications which might add to the operators work.

lVith numerous operators positions side by side it may be desirable that adjacent operators should not be simultaneously engaged in checking and registering numerous calls; accordingly, in some instances it may be desirable to have the respective signal indications for a series of operators positions given successively in rotation. That is, the color as indicated by one operators clock could be made to change from black to red when the clock minute dial moves from zero to one, and the digits on the adjacent operato1"s clock may be so colored as to indicate the termination of a period when. the dial moves from one to two. In this way adjacentoperators will be enabled to check overtime pay ments at different times so that during such checking each operator may be assisted, by neighboring operators, in the establishment of further calls.

It is not desired to limit the invention to the details or specific examples herein described, since it will be apparent to those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that it is susceptable to various otheradaptations and modifications, such as may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, and'I aim therefore in the appended claims to cover all such adaptations and modifica tions.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 01 the United States is:

1. Method of approximately timing the use of numerous electrical circuits, the connections for which are set up irregularly and are controlled by an operator, which comprises giving the operator distinctive signal indications for identifying successive timed intervals, classifying the connections for the circuits into a plurality of groups, each group respectively corresponding to certain of said identified intervals, the operator utilizing each of said groups respectively only during their said corresponding intervals, whereby the operator, by the condition of said connections, is apprised of circuits the connections nections for various circuits as used, each group being utilized during a definite predeterm ned period, whereby the groups indicate the perlods during which various connections 'liave been established.

.13. Method of controlling overtime payments for numerous payment telephone calls,

the lines for which are under the control of a central oflice operator, which comprlses dividing the connectingdevices for the lines into distinctive groups, utilizing said groups of devices successively only during predeterf'mined periods, whereby the period during which a call isestablished is indicated by the particular group that includes the devices used in making connections for such call.

4. Method of controlling overtime payments for the use of numerous telephone lines the connections for which are established at irregular intervals according to the sub-V scribers demands, which comprises identifying by a predetermined grouping of the connecting devices, all lines in use at regular arbitrary predetermined intervals, 7 such intervals being equal to an established payment period or to a predetermined fraction thereof, and charging an overtime payment or payments for the use of such identified lines for which connections are set up in one such pcriodand are maintained to theend of the next succeeding period or longer.

5. Method of controlling the times of use of numerous electrical circuits, the connections for which are established at irregular intervals by an operator in responseto subscribers demands, which comprises providmg signal indications atregular predetermined times to denote the beginning and ending of successive arbitrary intervals each 7 bearing a predetermined relationship to an established period of use for such circuits, dividing the connecting devices for the circuits into two groups, the operator using said groups alternately during alternate intervals, and the operator when shifting from the use of one group to another, directing attention to the control of all circuits still in use since the previous indication.

6. Method of controlling overtime pa ments for numerous payment telephone cal s the lines for which are under the control of a central ofiice operator, which comprises giving the operator a pronounced visual signal indication at predetermined regular intervals of time bearing a definite relationship to an established payment period, the operator marking individually the lines on which calls are in the process of being established at the time of said indications, the operator also classifying all lines in use at the times of said indications according to succeeding alternate intervals during which calls thereon are established, whereby lines in use during more than one full interval are indicated by such classification and overtime payments may be charged therefor excepting for said individually marked lines.

7. Method of controlling overtime payments for numerous payment telephone calls, the lines for which are under the control of a central ofiice operator, which comprises dividing the connecting devices for the lines into distinctively colored groups, providing a timing means with indicators of corresponding colors for denoting successive predetermined periods, utilizing said groups of devices successively only during periods when indicators of corresponding colors are exhibited, whereby the period during which acall is established and any overtime charge therefor is indicated by the particular group that includes the devices used in making connections for such call.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JESSE L. BOYNTON. 

